Grain-separator.



0. W. CROPLEY.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 18. I914.

1 ,27 3,462. Patented July 23, 1918.

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0. W. CROPLEY.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV..16, 1914. 1 273,462. 7 Patented July 23,1918.

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OSCAR W. CBOPLEY, 0F JUNI NE RASKA,

GBAIN-SEPARATOB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Application filed November 16, 1914. Serial No. 872,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR V. Cnormzy, a citizen of the United States, residing at Juniata, inthe county of Adams and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of retary sifters and has particular reference to a device for use in connection with grain or similar material as a chaff separator.

As a principal object, this invention contemplates the provision of a grain sifter of the type described which shall be simple of construction, compact in form and capable of seperating grain from its attendant particles of foreign or useless matter in an efficient manner.

The above and additional objects which will become apparent as this explanatory description proceeds are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the grain sifting machines comprehended by this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, substantially, but equipped with a varied form of separator.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the matter shown in Fig. 2,

Figure 4, is a detail in plan of driving connections shown in Fig. 3, i

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View taken longitudinally through the body' of the sepathe side boards 10 at the rear end thereof so that the machine may be readily carried about. \Vhen stationary the grain sifter is supported by a pair of short forward legs 16 suitably braced as at 17 and by a second pair of rearward legs 18, which extend upwardly beyond the side boards 10 in order to receive bearings 19 for a countershaft 20, upon the center of which shaft is mounted a beveled gear 21 and upon one extremity a large sprocket wheel 22, which is provided with a handle 23 for manual rotation thereof although it will be obvious that the sprocket may be connected with any suitable source of motive power if desired.

lVithin the fan casing 14 is mounted a fan including blades 2 1 secured to a central shaft 25 on the extremity of which is carried a small sprocket 26 adapted to be driven by customary chain connections 27 from the large sprocket 22. A U-shaped support 28 has its extensions fastened to the respective side boards 10 toward the rear of the machine and supports as illustrated a hopper 2!) which may be of any desirable size and shape and is provided at the bottom with a suitable outlet to which is connected a delivery spent 30 which is adapted to convey the grain to be sifted to the rotary sifting devices.

One of these sifters is illustrated in Fig. 1 and includes principally a foraminous cylinder 31 braced at the ends by bands 32 and mounted for revolution with the shaft 33 by means of the usual hubs and spokes which in the latter instance may be formed from wire. This sifter is positioned longitudinally of the machine intermediate of the base boards 10 and is mounted at its forward extremityin a bearing 34 mounted on an: arm 35 whlch may be adjusted for height vby a pin and series of apertures in connection with a transverse board brace 36. At its rearward end the sifter 31 is maintained in driving relation with the o crating means of the machine by a bracket 3?, V-shaped as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4, so that the end of the shaft 33 which carries a beveled gear 38 may make suitable connections with a the gear 21 carried centrally of the shaft 20.-

By this means it will be seen that driving the large sprocket 22 accomplishes movement of all the necessary parts ofthis Sifter.

Between the side boards 10 there is slidably positioned i g des 39 a ideplate,

at an angle to conduct the grain tothedis tributing aperture 41. A similar set of guides 39, see Figs. 2 and 5, oppositely slanted ,iare also mounted on theside boards a to receive the guide plate 40 when two concentric sieves 46 and 47 are employed for directing the grain from the outersieve to ,a distributing aperture 48; The guide plate slides easily in guides 39 and 39 and may be readily shifted from one set to another as circumstances require. In the forward portionof the space between the side boards there are positioned upon the bottom 42, a, pairvof oppositely'inclined chaff. guides '43 illustrated in Fig. 5 and serving a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter. Agate 44 is mounted above and at an angle to, the chafi guide 43 for obvious sliding movement between a. pair of guides 45 secured uponthe side boards 10. Any suitable control means may be employed for the adjustment of this gate 44 since movement of thisgate'determines the quantity of material to be blownaway from thesifted grain., r In Fig 2 is illustrated another form of such'machi'nes as are comprehended by this invention and'in which the. main difference will be seen to be in the rotary. sifter itself, ,7 which in this instance comprises an outer ,foraminous cylinder 46 and a similar but smaller inner cylinder, 47, the former being 'of ,finenme'sh'than the latter and both being mounted for rotation upon the shaft 33 'infsome-manner similar to thatalready described in the case of tl1e.sifter..31. It.

should be particularly noted however that fyond the forward limitf of. the outer cylinder for a purpose to be later more fully set forth: If desired the shaft 33 may be 7 Qi-ii clinedupwardly toward the rear incrder to "facilitate" the. passage .of the grain ;'through the sieves,

Q In'operation, the hopper 29 is. first -filled Twith the grain to be separated which is permitted..,'to flow throughffthe spout 30 to "the interior of'tlie sifter' 31, in the firStinstanCeQ's'uch' flow being controlled by any desirable'shiftable'means suitably interposed in fthe mouthof the deliveryspoutQ Operation "of the Sewerage either by hand or other mo- 4 p ower 'eflfect sthe'rotation of the sieve. 31 as well as ofthe fan which latter generates n Qtheblast ofused as the step in the separat ng operation; "The rotary "sieve 31 ran ,iiruaa a 'lines*Fig;*5' and .by which the inner cylinder '47eXtends forwardly bew @Qperates up oi 1 theiadmittedl'grain in the swimm r; s e t h se ge Ti de ttoman: m tt red aera i g-th a lrfi fflhn the I g -ammo which" is in? he 1) siti'on illustrated'jn' "Fig.

Just before passing through this aperture however the grain is subjected to the fan blastissuing from the portion 18 of the casing and serving to blow away the lighter particlesof chaff which have already-been loosened in the travel of the grain through the machine. Theheavier portions, of, the grain mass which are of course that part it is desired to retain maybe gathered below the discharge 41 .by-anysuitable re} ceptacle since the fan blast is not sufliciently strong to blow these'portions away. The sliding gate '44'as will be obvious upon-ref ere'nce to. Fig. 5, may. beraisedby, the 'operator to a suitable height to permit the chaff to be blown thereunder overflthe inclined surfacevof the chaff guide 43 p The-operation of the separator illustrated in 'Fi'g} 2 differs but.v slightly from that jalready described. W'hen using the double sieve the guide board 40 is withdrawn from theguides39- and inserted in the'guides 39 so as to :o cc'u'p'y the inclined position shown 1 iirFig: '5. with its lower end terminating-15etween the distributing aperture 41 and the similar aperture 48 in rear thereoffaudits upper end immediately below "the foremost W end ofthe outer cylinder 46 so that the pro-- jecting portion of the inner cylinder 47 will "extend beyond said board and beimmcdifately above the sliding gate '45. ltwill thus be apparentthat alligrain fine enough to "pass through the inner cylinder but. too 'coarse to pass through the outer "cylinder will be deposited. in a stream on. the gate 45 separate from that 'grainpassing through I 'both inner and outercylinders. From gate 45 grain thereon will flow to'th'e delivery aperture 41 while thecoarser grain collected by the board 40 will'g ravitatei'to. the apertrue 48, Any grain falling onthe topfof :thQ fancasing may be, from'time ,toitin e,

pushed forward so as to fall through 'apoi ture 48 or it may beremoved from the rear fl ach ne e While in the foregoing howeven thereha's thus been illustrated in the drawings and .descr'ibedrin the specification such eombina ..t n:,a d. r angemento en sias; titute the preferred emboclinient'ofithis in- .rent ltgit d f ired to mi h si e he that $1101 min 'Jc gesiin t e: ma ters i ipropo'r n and, deg eei iay e made. ter adap at s. f th s device; 'a i h l teli r the spirit ofthe invention as defined in the "'appended olaims."{ i :.-llhats m me d. 1s a igr inf pamtb Wt, pp r, I

below the hopper,- and-"a below 1 5 in ,c h ina i iw si i ablle 9 dir c ingtheffioiv of r 1 f lsai'd s eve across 'an'.lairblast-froi T V i r r'efgthe pathof flewing grain to carry away chaff separated by said air blasts, and slidably adjustable means controlling the amount of chaff reaching said deflecting means:

2. A grain separator including a hopper, a sieve below the hopper, and a fan below the sieve, in combination with a shiftable and adjustable guide board to receive the sifted grain from said sieve and conduct it to a suitable discharge aperture, said fan adapted to force an air blast across the path of the flowing grain as it falls from the guide board to separate the chaff there from, and means for deflecting said chaff from the finally discharged grain.

The combination in a grain separator including a hopper, a pair of concentric sieves below the hopper and a fan below the sieves, of a pair of guide boards to receive separately the grain from said sieves and deliver the same across the blast of air from aid fan to separate discharge apertures, and means in rear of the path of the flowing grain for deflecting the chaff separated from said grain and effecting suitable discharge of the same.

4. A grain separator including a hopper, a sieve below said hopper, grain conducting means between said hopper and said sieve,

a reversible guide board beneath said sieve and capable of angular adjustment with relation thereto for suitably conducting the sifted grain to the discharge aperture, a fan operable with said sieve and adapted to generate an air blast for acting upon said grain across its direction of flow and immediately above its discharge to separate the chaff therefrom loosened. by said sieve, and means in front of said guide board for deflecting said chaff to a point of discharge.

5. The combination in a grain separator, of a hopper, a pair ofconcentric revolving sieves, an adjustable guide board beneath said sieves to receive grain passing through the inner sieve and conducting the same to a suitable discharge aperture, an angularly slidable and reversible guide board for receiving grain passing through the outer sieve and conducting the same to a second discharge aperture, a fan adapted to drive a blast of air across the flow of both streams of grain immediately before entering the discharge apertures to separate therefrom chaff loosened by said sieves, and means for deflecting said chall to a point of discharge remote from said apertures.

(3. A grain separator including a hopper and a sieve, of supporting side boards, a bottom connecting said side boards and having a grain discharge opening formed therein, an inclined adjustable member mounted upon said side boards below the sieve and terminating at its lower end adjacent said discharge opening, a removable and reversible grain conducting board for operating in one position with said inclined adjustable member for conducting the grain to said discharge opening, means for directing an air current across the stream of grain falling from said adjustable member to the discharge openi ng', and cha fl' directing means mounted upon the bottom in front of the adjustable member.

7. In a grain separator, a receiving chute therefor of trough lilce shape lmving discharge openings in the bottom thereof for the passage of grain, and an inlet opening for a current of air across the bottom of said chute and parallel thereto, deflector boards removably mounted in said chute and adjustable to vary [he distance between the lower edges thereof and the bottom of the chute for regulating the passage of air thereunder, and its action on the descending grain, and a chaff deflector at the end of the chute opposite the air inlet opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR W. CROPLEY.

lVitnesses:

HARRY LINEGOR, JOHN H .CnorLnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents'each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, .D. 0. 

